Why travel with kiddos? Why not.

WAYB believes that travel is good for the soul. It leads you to new places, new cultures, even new ways of thinking. The noise out there would have you believe that traveling with kids is too hard. It is different, for sure, but it’s worth it. Here’s WAYB’s Brand Adventure Chief, Amanda, with her story on why she is still globetrotting, even with two little ones, with the help of the WAYB Pico travel car seat.

Before I had kids, travel was my life. I got itchy if I didn’t have a trip on the horizon, and every dollar I could save went to the travel fund. My husband (and #1 travel buddy) also loves visiting new places and cultures. So we were pretty nervous about life with kids. Would we be able to travel? Even if we could… would it suck? The kind of travel we like to do is off the beaten path, out in nature, or immersed in local life. We were not about to swap that for “kid-friendly” resorts or just parking our butts at home.

Our junior humans are 5 and 7 now, and travel has gotten pretty easy with them. We’ve taken them to England and Scotland, Mexico (City and Zihautenejo), Thailand, and all over the U.S., all before they were 4 and 6. Yup, we schlepped a buncha stuff. Yup, naptimes ruled. Yup, meltdowns happen. But we were getting out in the world.

Day one in Bangkok - we let the kids lead us down different alleys and stop in local shops. They mostly loved trying new candies from the convenience stores. 

Watching the buskers in Edinburgh. Travel has definitely brought these siblings closer together.

And we know, we know “they won’t remember it.” That’s what people say, and even we sometimes say, when we’re trying to figure out if we can justify the cost of travel for four. But here’s the thing: I’m a traveler. It’s who I am. And I’ll remember getting to do this with my favorite three people on earth.

When you have a massive layover in Taipei, it’s time to play.

Here’s the other thing: they do remember, at least long enough to make the next trip easier. My kids might not remember every place they’ve been, but they never had a time when they couldn’t remember the last trip. They know that when they are curious about the world, they don’t just have to find the answer in a book or on Google, they can go and find out for themselves. My kids know how our version of life is just one of many. They know that they are travelers too. It’s normal to them, and they love it.